---

Aim and Background: Discovering factors associated with mental health of the elderly is an interesting subject in the psychology of aging. This study investigated the relationships of spiritual well-being, existential well-being, and hardiness with mental health in the elderly. Methods and Materials: This descriptive-correlational research was conducted on the elderly living in the nursing home of Ardabil (Iran). One hundred individuals were randomly selected. Data was collected using questionnaires about spiritual well-being, hardiness, and mental health. The collected data was analyzed with Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Findings: Spiritual well-being had significant negative associations with anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction. However, it had a positive significant relation with hardiness. Existential well-being had significant negative relations with somatization, anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction. Its relation with hardiness was positive and significant. Finally, hardiness had significant negative associations with anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Mental health of the elderly can be predicted by spiritual well-being, existential well-being, hardiness, and age. The results of this study imply the importance of spiritual well-being and hardiness in maintaining mental health of the elderly.

---

Abstract Aim and Background: Due to the high incidence of breast cancer and the importance of spiritual well-being (SWB) of patients with this type of cancer, this study was performed to predict the role of psychological, medical and demographic factors, on SWB in patients with breast cancer Methods and Materials: This Cross sectional study was a descriptive-analytic one conducted in 341 breast cancer patients with simple sampling methodology. Data collection instrument included a questionnaire contains 3 parts (demographic and medical information, SWB questionnaire and DASS-42 questionnaire). The data was analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics (One way Analysis of Variance, Student t-Test, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients and Multiple linear regressions), with applying SPSSv20 software. Findings: Based on study findings, there was a statistically significant relationship between SWB and stress, anxiety and depression among breast cancer patients. The results of regression analysis indicated that the stress, anxiety and depression explained totally 39.5% of the variance of patients' SWB (R 2 = 39.5). Depression in the first was the best predictions of the breast cancer patients' SWB with R 2 = 26.2. Conclusions: According to the results obtained, SWB of patients with breast cancer is predicable according to the stress, anxiety and depression. Breast cancer patients with higher grades of SWB, had lower stress, anxiety and depression so SWB is a protective factor against stress, anxiety and depression.